Material transfer agreement (MTA)

A material transfer agreement (MTA) is a contract governing the transfer of tangible research materials (cell lines, compounds, reagents, samples, prototypes, devices) from one organization to another, setting out what the recipient may do with the material and what rights each side has in the results.

How it works in a university-industry collaboration

An MTA travels alongside a research agreement rather than replacing it. It covers the material itself: permitted use (usually research only), no transfer to third parties, no use in humans, who owns modifications and derivatives, publication, and liability. For biological materials between nonprofits, most US universities use the Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement (UBMTA), a standard form from 1995 that signatory institutions accept without negotiation. Company-to-university transfers aren't covered by the UBMTA, and that's where negotiation happens, usually over the company's wish to own inventions made with its material. The UIDP Contract Accords include an accord on MTAs with the agreed middle position.

The common mistake is to move materials under an NDA, or under nothing, because the research agreement is still in negotiation. An MTA is short, often signed in one to four weeks with templates, and it's the document that says whose compound it is when the results come in.

Translation Box: material transfer agreement

On the academic side: a form the sponsored programs or technology transfer office signs before a sample can leave or arrive, and a frequent source of delay when the sender wants rights to anything made with it.

On the industry side: often a reach-through clause by default. Universities will refuse rights in inventions that merely used the material, and will accept rights in the material and its direct derivatives.

What Helikon does with it

A Helikon project records a material transfer agreement as its agreement type where that's the governing document, and keeps the signed copy with the project's contract files.